MOMENTUM WORST INSURANCE COMPANY EVER

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MOMENTUM SHORT TERM INSURANCE - EXPERTS AT NON PAYMENTS!

Yet Another Disgruntled Client

Momentum does it again!!!!!

I have been insured with Momentum STI on a personal capacity for the past two to three years. In 2018 I purchased two BRAND NEW Nissan Almeras which required cover for Business use. (Taxify) With all the time that I have been with Momentum I was proudly claim free in both my personal and business capacity when it came to my Motor vehicles.

On the 26th August 2019 I received a call from a petrol attendant (BP N1 Oasis - Beyers Naude). He had stated that my vehicle was parked there and the keys were left with him. The driver (Taxify business) had left the vicinity and stated that he was going to the closest mall but never returned to the vehicle. I immediately rushed to my vehicle and upon arrival noticed that it had been damaged all around. I immediately contacted my Momentum broker (Jano Prinsloo) whilst I was with the vehicle at the BP Garage. Jano then stated that a tow truck will be dispatched as we both ascertained that the vehicle damage was substantial enough to render it undrivable. (Left front wheel was bent and the suspension looked damaged as a result). A few minutes later I was contacted by the towing company and advised that they would be at the scene within 45 minutes. I run a few businesses and during this time I quickly left and returned to the garage after visiting a client. During this time the Towing company had arrived and I met the driver. The Almera was then placed on the Flatbed (tow truck) and taken away. I was advised that the vehicle would be taken to SMD. A few days later I received a call from Net Assess stating that an assessor would be appointed. After communicating with the assessor I have requested that I am also present when the assessment was to take place. I did not receive further communication as this point. I was never present with the assessor for the assessment.

Momentum then contacted me stating that vehicle was now at Steimar Panel beaters for repairs as my claim was approved. They had also notified me that the damages were over multiple incidents (4). After consultation with Jano they then changed this from 4 incidents to 2. (I am not privy to the actual conversation). I was then advised that I would need to pay R 5 000,00 excess per incident. I now had to pay R 10 000,00 instead of R 20 000,00 that was initially requested. (I do not understand how 4 supposed incidents became 2 !!!) On the 16th October 2019 I was then contacted by Jano and advised that the vehicle was repaired and ready for collection by 14h00. Just as I was preparing to fetch the vehicle Jano contacted me again to state that the car was not ready as only the one side was repaired. He then requested some time to rectify this matter with Momentum. I was Cced on this email and therein I noticed that Jano stating that he had no choice but to include me on correspondence from himself to Momentum.

I then requested a meeting with Momentum and Jano towards the latter part of October 2019.

Before the meeting took place I received a call from Charlene Marshall (Commercial Claims team manager) to advise me that the reason for the delay in repairs to my vehicle was due to the Assessors report being delayed and as a result they were delayed in repairing my vehicle. For this inconvenience my required excess of R 10 000,00 was now changed to R 5 000,00. It was during this conversation that Charlene then apologized stating that they are not specialists in what they do and this may be the reason for the mix ups that occurred as they outsource most of their processes. I was obviously taken aback by this statement and stated that I may perhaps be with the wrong company.

It has to be noted that the meeting was requested on a Monday and only on the Thursday did we receive notification that they could meet and this would be on the Friday at 14h00. Jano and myself then met Charlene Marshall, Colette Swanepoel, Michelle Domingo, Leon Muller , Festus Balt and Lulu Coetzee at the Momentum offices in Centurion. At this meeting Momentum representatives then apologized for the delays and lack of communication and blamed this on their service providers. They also blamed Nissan South Africa for the delays with parts and stated that if I wished I could even pursue a case against Nissan as the parts and delay of parts is in the hands of Nissan South Africa. It must be noted that during the claims process I was in contact with the panelbeater and he stated that he was merely waiting for authorisation and parts itself was not an issue. Momentum did not want to cover me for Loss Of Income as I did not select this option. I was never offered this option and I was unaware of this option being available. I am no specialist on Momentum products. In this meeting they were very defensive and tried to place blame on their service providers and other companies and only took accountability when the bare facts were laid out. The cover that they placed on my vehicles was not suited to me and this was only noted in the meeting. Momentum knowing that the vehicles were used on the Taxify platform did not adequately cover me for Loss of Income nor did they have a product that suited me (according to Momentum). Jano responded by stating that Loss of Income would have covered me and paid me out for Losses incurred by my vehicles being out of commission. (This now confused me further) I would have taken the option for Loss of Income as this would assist me financially. I am still seething as this was NEVER offered or discussed. It was then divulged that the driver who left the vehicle at the garage was now speaking to them and he had apparently only smashed the back of the vehicle. I could never get into contact with said driver after he abandoned my vehicle. They then stated that a P.I was hired. This was not an issue to me as I have nothing to hide. Momentum also resolved to have another assessor placed on the claim and we met this assessor at the panel beater. He then found further faults on the vehicle after his assessment. Why was not not picked up in the first place? 4 incidents to 2 to 1 and then more damage picked up. INCOMPETENCE AND INCONSISTENT.

A few days later I was contacted by Quinton van Schalkwyk (the private investigator) requesting a meeting at Momentum centurion. I stated my unavailability and he then met me at my residential address. It was at this meeting that the following was requested : 1) Mobile phone records of both my mobile phones 2) Tracking reports for both my Almeras 3) Certified copy of my identity documents 4) A list of names of all the drivers that ever worked for me 5) My company financials (Taxify business) 6) Bank statements 7) Receipts for tyres purchased 8) A contract from Taxify. ( NB - The vehicles are taken to the Sandton office for verification and all drivers are noted on their systems, there is no actual contract signed) 9) Dates, Times and Police station details for incidents when drivers would leave the vehicles on the roads and hand the keys to the Police 10) Copies of Natis documents for the vehicles from the banks His interrogation lasted about 1,5 hours. I had also requested all voice recordings and communication that took place between Momentum and I. He had stated that upon completion of his investigation I would receive this information. All information requested by him was provided diligently by myself. Momentum had also advised me that I should only speak to Quinton and not them anymore.

A week or so later I received a call from Quinton requesting a second meeting. This took place at my residence once again as I was unable to go to their offices in Centurion. During the second meeting I had decided to record our discussion as he was doing the same and he had also failed to provide me with recordings or correspondence as requested by me in our first meeting. This meeting lasted 119 minutes (1 hour 59 minutes). The questions were repetitive and asked in various different methods but meant the same none the less. It was clear to me that in both meetings Quinton did not come to meet and understand or meet to discuss the claim. His agenda was simple. He was abrasive in his approach and confrontational to say the least. He also insinuated that I had placed a ********** claim when he spoke to me and alluded to me being a *****. (Recordings can prove this). He further stated that he would be repudiating my claim and would be cancelling my policy. (This after my vehicle was repaired when the claim was already approved). I was advised that policy was cancelled from initial date of claim and my premiums paid on business and personal insurance would be taken as payments towards the supposed R 100 000,00 that I owe them. I received cancellation letters on the same day from Momentum. I was still waiting to hear from Momentum when my vehicle would be ready for collection. After a week of numerous emails to my broker I finally received confirmation that my vehicle was ready for collection. Two options were provided to me. The first option I would need to pay the panel beater. (This was close to R 100 000,00 odd in costs). The second option was to collect the vehicle and then I would be contacted by Momentums legal team. When I went to collect my vehicle I was requested to pay the R 5 000,00 excess as they would not release the vehicle without that payment. I was informed by the panelbeater that Momentum did not fix the suspension that was damaged. I had to collect the vehicle regardless as I would have been liable for storage costs should I have left my vehicle there.

I am now sitting with a vehicle that cannot be used as the suspension is damaged. My Taxify business is on the verge of closure. The vehicle would need to be repaired and taken for a Dekra inspection before its allowed back onto the Taxify platform. I am unable to repair the vehicle presently and it would certainly fail any AA or Dekra inspection in its present state. I am now paying for a vehicle that is unable to bring me income. With me being cancelled as a result of a vicious P.I that is clearly hired to repudiate even valid claims, I cannot secure cover for all my private vehicles and other business vehicles. I feel let down by my broker that collected my payments and let down by my insurer even though they themselves claim to not be knowledgeable on the cover they supposedly provide. Why collect premiums with the intention of not paying out? This reeks of Momentums overall modus operandi throughout their various scopes of business. Remember them cancelling a valid Life claim not too long ago? Why hire *********** staff that do not assist in selection of the correct cover or where they do not know what they are doing or how the claims was supposed to be done. I am no expert on insurance that is why I needed to use a broker to cover myself correctly and assist me with all aspects of my insurance cover. How can my insurer take the word off a driver that left the vehicle in the hands of a stranger and runs away? Why did they not use the CCTV footage from the garage at the start of the claim? Why advise that they cannot access it a month and a half later as they refresh footage every 30 days according to Momentum. Why refuse to give me call recordings and written correspondence that they have with me? Whats to hide? Whats the hidden agenda?

I feel let down and taken advantage off. How many clients suffer the same fate as me and are helpless? How many business owners lose valuable income and are not compensated because they were not advised by so called professionals? I lost close to R 84 000,00 potential income as a result of not having my vehicle for close to 3 months. This is over and above the R 21 000,00 it costs in insurance, tracker and finance charges.

Time to expose Momentum for the *****s that they are and the ****gish manner in which they push genuine clients around. Enough is enough!!!!

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